Gender and Ethnicity: The Middle East in the U.S.
Professor: Nadine Naber
Office Hours: By appointment
WMS 343
Office: 3632 Haven Hall
E-mail: ncnaber@mich.edu
The Middle East in the U.S.
Course Description
This course brings “diaspora studies” and “women of color” feminisms to bear on the
histories and experiences of Arab Middle Easterners in the U.S. The course is based on a
women of color feminist perspective that highlights the “intersectionality” of multiple
access of oppression, such as race, class, gender and sexuality. Students will study Arab
immigrant and Arab American engagements with U.S. racial formations and identity
formations in relation to the U.S. nation and Arab homelands from feminist perspectives.
The course will highlight the shift from Arab American “invisibility” to “hypervisibility” before and after September 11th and its impact on Arab American masculinities
and femininities. Central to this course will be a study of representations of Arab and
Muslim women within popular American culture and the processes by which Arab and
Muslim women resist, transform, and/or reproduce dominant notions of “Arabness” and
“Americanness.” This course is interdisciplinary and brings together the fields of
sociology, anthropology, literary, and film studies.
Required Readings:
 Required course packet
 Two required books may be purchased at Shaman Drum Bookstore, 315 S. State
Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
Shakir, Evelyn. 1997. Bint Arab: Arab and Arab American Women in the
United States. Praeger Publishers.
Kadi, Joanna, ed. 1994. Food for our Grandmothers: Writings by Arab
American and Arab Canadian Feminists. South End Press.
Course Requirements:
Students are required to attend all classes, read course material prior to class, and actively
participate in class discussion. The reading load for this course is @ 60-80 pages per
week. The course grade will be based on:
1)
2)
3)
4)
weekly memos (due Tuesdays)
midterm assignment
class participation and presentations
final group project
40%
20%
15%
25%
Students are expected to work collaboratively. This requires a willingness to share ideas
with classmates; discuss and debate ideas; and respect the ideas and opinions of others.
1
Course Sections/Themes:
 Background/History of the Arab World and Arab Migration to the U.S.
 Exile and Diaspora
 Race/Racism
 Media Representations
 Social Class/Classism
 Muslim Identities
 Sexuality
 September 11th
Extra Credit:
Extra Credit may be earned by writing memos about events (on or off the U of M
campus) that are announced in class. Extra credit assignments must be submitted no
more than one week after approved events. Students are encouraged to bring
announcements of events to class and to post relevant information to the class e-mail list.
Reading Assignments:
This course stresses reading in preparation for class discussion, thinking critically about
the readings, and participating actively in class discussions. All reading assignments for
the following week will be posted on the board and on our course e-mail list on
Thursdays.
Class Presentations:
Each student is expected to present two class presentations (see attached schedule). The
professor will assign each student a specific reading(s) for their presentation. In your
presentation, you should present 1) the main argument of the assigned reading and 2)
ideas and questions for class discussion.
Critical Memos:
Critical memos will be due every Tuesday morning. Critical Memos should be 2 (typed,
double spaced) pages. Critical Memos require answering a set of questions about the
course readings. These questions will be posted on the board and on our course e-mail
list on Thursday. On occasion, you will be expected to share your critical memo with a
partner. Your partner will read your memo and provide you with feedback. You will be
expected to discuss the ideas you raise in your memo either a partner (one-on-one) and
with the entire class.
Class Policies:
 Class attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of
class. If you arrive to class after attendance has been taken you will be marked
absent. If you miss class, your grade will suffer 3 points of the final grade for
each missed class.
 Each student is required to have an e-mail account. An e-mail list will be created
and available for posting and discussing course assignments, news articles, and
other materials relevant to the course.
2
Class Schedule
Introduction, September 9-17th
Read:
 Naff, Alixa. “The Early Arab Immigrant Experience.” (In the Development of
Arab American Identity).
 Suleiman, Michael. “Introduction: The Arab Immigrant Experience.” (In Arabs
in America: Building a New Future).
 Shakir, Evelyn. Introduction and Selections from Bint Arab.
Film.
 In My Own Skin. The Complexity of Living as an Arab in America.
Exile and Diaspora, September 22nd
Read:
 Joseph, Suad. “Searching for Baba.” (In Stanford Humanities Review).
 Abdulhadi, Reem and Rabab Abdulhadi. “Nomadic Existence: Exile, Gender
and Palestine (an E-mail Conversation between Sisters).” (In This Bridge we Call
Home).
 Selections from Food for our Grandmothers.
Poetry
 Abinader, Almaz. “Sixty Minutes: A Poem and a Journal.” (In Jusoor).
 Kaldas, Pauline. “Home.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
 Kahf, Mohja. “The Roc.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
 Majaj, Lisa. “Jerusalem Song.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
Race and Representation, September 24-October 1st
Read:
 Shohat, Ella. “Gender in Hollywood’s Orient.” (In Middle East Report.)
 Naber, Nadine. “Ambiguous Insiders: An Investigation of Arab American
Invisibility.” (in the Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies).
 Hamilton, Michelle. “Arab Women in U.S. Popular Culture.” (In Food for our
Grandmothers).
 Saliba, Therese. “Military Presences and Absences.” (In Food for our
Grandmothers).”
 Shaheen, Jack. “Hollywood’s Muslim Arabs.” (In A Community of Many
Worlds: Arab Americans in New York City).
Film:
 Tania Kamal-Eldin. Hollywood Harems.
 Segments of “Not without my Daughter;” “The Siege;” and “G.I. Jane”
Social Class and Gender, October 6
Read:
 Kadi, Joanna. “Working Class Culture, Not an Oxymoron” and “Stupidity
Deconstructed.” (In Thinking Class: Sketches from a Cultural Worker).
3


Cainkar, Louise. “Palestinian Women in American Society: The Interaction of
Social Class, Culture and Politics.” (In the Development of Arab American
Identity).
Aswad, Barbara. “Yemeni and Lebanese Muslim Immigrant Women in Southeast
Dearborn, Michigan.”
Sexuality, Race, and Cultural Politics, October 8th
Read:
 Kadi, Joanna. “Homophobic Workers or Elitist Queers?” (In Thinking Class).
 The Mujadarra Grrls, Bint el Nas, (Selections). http://www.bintelnas.org
Break. October 13th
Cultural Identity, October 15th-October 20th
Read:
 Shohat, Ella. “Dislocated Identities: Reflections of an Arab Jew.” (In
Movement)
 Al Sultany, Evelyn. “Los Intersticios: Recasting Moving Selves.” (In This
Bridge we Call Home.)
 Majaj, Lisa. “Boundaries.” (In Food for our Grandmothers).
 Elia, Nada. “The ‘White’ Sheep of the Family: But Bleaching Is like Starvation.”
(In This Bridge We Call Home).
 Hammad, Suheir. “A Road Still Becoming.” (In Becoming American).
Poetry:
Kahf, Mohja. “The Passing There” (In E-mails from Shehrezade).
Film:
 Banaat Chicago: Growing Up Arab and Female in Chicago.
***Midterm Paper Due, October 22nd
Muslim Identities, October 22-29th
Read:
 Naber, Nadine. “Muslim First-Arab Second: A Strategic Politics of Race and
Gender” (Forthcoming).
 Webb, Gisella. “Introduction.” (In Windows of Faith: Muslim Women ScholarActivists in North America).
 Wadud, Amina. “Alternative Qur’anic Interpretation and the Status of Muslim
Women.” (In Windows of Faith).
 Moore, Kathleen. “The Hijab and Religious Liberty: Anti-Discrimination Law
and Muslim Women in the United States.” (In Muslims on the Americanization
Path.)
Poetry:
 Kahf, Mohja. “Descent into JFK.”
“Hijab Scene #7.”
“Hijab Scene #5.”
“Hijab Scene #2.”
4
“Hijab Scene #1.”
“My Babysitter Wears a Face Veil.”
Film:
 Under One Sky: Arab Women in North America Talk about the Hijab
Writing and Creativity, November 3-12th
Read:
 Selections from Food for our Grandmothers.
 Handal, Nathalie. “Arab-American/Arab-Canadian Women Poets.” (In the
Poetry of Arab Women).
 Shihab Nye, Naomi. “Arabic.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“Small Vases from Hebron.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“The Words Under the Words.” (In the Words Under the Words).
“Living at the Airport.” (In Fuel).
 Halaby, Laila. “Handfuls of Wind.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“Refugee.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“Long Distance.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
 Hammad, Suheir. “Manifest Destiny.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“Broken and Beirut.” (In the Poetry of Arab Women).
“Heiferes and Heroes.” (In Jusoor).
“October’s Daughters.” (In Jusoor).
 Kahf, Mohja. “My Grandmother Washes her Feet in the Sink of the Bathroom at
Sears.” (In E-mails from Shehrezade).
“My Body is not your Battleground.” (In Jusoor).
Arab and Muslim Women after September 11th , November 17-19th
Read:
 Organizational Reports TBA (ACLU, Justice for All, etc.)
 Selections from Middle East Report, (Arabs, Muslims and Race in America).
Poetry
 Kahf, Mohja. “We Will Continue Like Twin Towers.” (In E-Mails from
Shehrezade).
 Hammad. Suheir. “First Writing Since.”
Group Work, November 24th
Recess, November 26th
December 1st
Films:
 We Too Sing America
 Haters
December 3rd
Group Presentations
***Final Paper Due on Final Exam Day
5
Course Title: Arab and Muslim Women in America
American Culture 102-02 and Women’s Studies 151-04
CRITICAL MEMO ASSIGNMENT
DUE EVERY MONDAY
Write a critical memo based on the assigned readings.
In your memo, answer the following questions:
1.What is the author’s main argument(s)? (If you are working on more than one
chapter, please write about the author’s main argument in each chapter). A
mere summary of the material does not meet the course requirement. You are
expected to complete the readings, take a step back from the reading, and ask
yourself, what is the author trying to claim here? Outline what the author is
attempting to argue.
(first and/or second paragraph).
2. What are your critical reflections? Provide critical thoughts about each of the
claims you have mentioned in #1 above.Critical Reflections should include:
a. your critique of one or more of the author’s main arguments
b. taking one or more of the author’s points and linking it to your own
personal experience and/or observations about the world we live in. In
other words, what are the links between what this author is claiming
and your own life and/or the world we live in?
(second and/or third paragraph)
3. What is the most interesting point/issue/idea(s) you I learned from the
reading? Here, you are expected to discuss what you found interesting and
why you found it interesting. What is it about the current historical context
that makes this issue interesting? What is it about your identity and/or life
experience that makes this issue interesting? Etc. A mere statement of what
was interesting to you will not meet the requirement,
(third and/or fourth paragraph)
4. What questions do this week’s readings raise? Were there points that were
unclear? Did the reading leave certain questions unanswered? Did the
readings raise controversial points that require further discussion and debate?
(last paragraph)
6